Window-cleaning device



' I 1, 4 June 21,1927. 8. DE ROSA v 633, 79

WINDOW CLEANING DEVICE Filed Dec. 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY CFIPatented June 21, 1927.

outrun STATES PATENT OFFICE- s'r'nvn DE ROSA, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WINDOW-CLEANING DEVICE.

Application filed December 10, 1926. Serial'NO. 153,941;

This invention relates to improvements so as to dispense with the usuallabor of applying water to the glass pane to be cleaned and then dryingthe pane.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a window cleaningdevice which automatically applies water to the pane to be cleaned uponsliding movement of a window sash in one direction and for thoroughlydrying the paneaupo'n movement of the sash in the-opposite direction. I

A still further object of the invention is to provide awindow cleaningdevice off-the class mentioned which is easy to apply to a window orremoved therefrom; slmpl'e of construction, and thorough of operation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention residesincertainnovel construction' and combination and arrangement ofpart'sifthe essential features of which are hereinafterfully described,are particularly pointed out in the appended cla in1s,' and areillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure" l isaperspective View of my improved window cleaning device per se.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View through a window showing thedevice 'in position thereon.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view therethrough showing a moisteningelement in engagement with the window.-

Figure 4 is a sii'nilar view but showing the position of the partswitlrtlie squeegee in engagement with the glass pane. I Figure 5 is avertical 's'ectioi'ia'l view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2. n

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the moistening element removedfrom its holder. I Fi ure 7 is a detail'horizon-tal. sectional viewshowing the manner of holding t-h'e device to a window casing forcleaning an upper sash.

Figure 8 is a detail front elevational View oi one of the end bracketsReferring more particularly to the draw- I ings, the reference numerallOdesignates my improved window cleaning device in its entirety andwhich includesan elongated bar 11 which supportsb'rackets 12', 12 at.opposite ends and which bracketsezctend from the bar for turnably means13 and drying means 14;.

The moistening element-l3. comprises a holder 15 which is oi a length tofit between the brackets 12, 12 and which is constructed of metal andprovided with a socket 16 to irictionally receive a removable moisteningelement 17 in the natureof a piece of cloth composed of aplurality oflayers of mate= rial, or the same may be a strip of felt so as to holdwater when dipped therein, and

' which element is saturated before placing the same in the holder foruse. The holder 15 has pintles 18 which have "then-bearings in thebrackets 12 and which have gear segments 19 fixedly mounted thereon.Wheels 20 are freely mounted on the pintles 18'and have a rubber tire ortread surface 21 which supporting moistening projects beyond the frontof the brackets for contact with the vertical rails of a window sash ina manner to be presently explained. The wheels20 are under "tension tocause them to normally rotateiwith the -gear' se m'ent 19, byreasonofrfiat springs .22 W ll-10% bear-against the inner side faces of thewheels 20. However, when the force to r0- tate the wheels overcomes thetension ofl the springs; the wheels will rotate irrespective of thegoals for apurpose to-be presently explained. I w

The drying means-.14 comprises a holder 23 which supports astrip' ofrelatively stiff.

flexible material 24 such 'as a strip of rubber and which constitutes asqueegee. The

holder 23 has its ends provided with ears 25 which" are connected withstub shafts 26 having bearings'in the bracketsl 2 to one side of theerticalaXi's' of the pint'les 18. The

stub shafts have :gear segments 27 fixed thereon for constant meshingengagement with the gear segments 19 whereby move ment is transmittedfrom the gear segments 19' to the gear segments 27' to move the squeegeeinto engagement with the window glass to be wiped after the applicationof water thereto by the moistening element.

In Figures 2, 3 and 4, I have shown my invention applied to a window Nwhich includes a window casing C having vertical parting strips P and Pwithin which the upper and lower sashes U and L are slidably mounted.For the purpose of rigidly supporting the cleaning device with respectto the sash for cleaning the outside of the glass pane G, I provideattaching means 28 at opposite ends of the device and which meanscomprises spaced rails or tracks 29 provided on the brackets 12 andwhich slidably receive clamps 30 which have clove-tail grooves 30 forreceiving the dove-tail tracks 29. The clamps include U-shaped jaws 31for receiving the parting strip P for rigidly clamplng the devicethereon. A. set screw 33 is threaded in the brackets and .serves as astop for the clamp to prevent sliding movement of the same with respectto the brackets when in an adjusted position upon the window casing.

In operation, the device is clamped on the parting strip P when it isdesired to clean the outside of the window pane G of the lower sash Land it is attached by inserting the U-shaped clamps over the partingstrip at a point adjacent the meeting rails of the upper and lowersashes and thence tightening up upon .the clamping screws 32. It will beunderstood that it is first necessary to wet the moistening element andinsert the same in its holder and to raise the lower sash to mount thedevice upon the window casing. When in position as shown in Figure 3 ofthe drawings, the rubber tires of the wheels 2-0 are tight against thevertical rails R of the lower sash with the moistening element 17bearing against the outside surface of the pane and completely, spanningthe same from one siderail to the other. The lower sash being in araised position, is now manually lowered to slide downward and as itmoves down the tendency of the same is to rotate the wheels 20, whichbeing under tension serve to forcibly press the moistening elementsagainst the window pane to wet the pane and wipe off any dirt or dustwhich might be present thereon. Should the friction between the wheels20 and the window sash overcome the tension of the flat springs 22, thewheels will slip or turn but will still maintain a pressure upon themoistening element. As the sash reaches the limit of its downwardmovement and the entire length of the window glass has been washed, theoperator manually raises the sash, and in so doing, causes a reverserotation of the wheels 20 which operates the gear segments 19 and 27 tocause the moistening element to swing outward away from the glass andautomatically swings the sash back and forth without manual labor 7 onthe partof an operator other than that necessary to raise and lower thesash. When cleaning the upper sash U, the clamps 31 are removed and theset screws 33 tightened against the window casing as shown in Figure 7of the drawings.

For locking the parts against movement when not in use, I provide asliding bolt 34% on one end of the squeegee holder 23 which is movableinto a recess 35 provided in the inner wall of the adjacent bracket.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided awindow cleaning device whichmay be applied to a window of a given sizeto thoroughly clean the same by merely sliding the sashes up and down,but which device may be constructed of various sizes to fit the standardsize sashes.

While I have described what I-deem' to be the most desirable embodimentof my invention, it is obvious that many of the details may be variedwithout in any way de-' parting from the spirit of my. invention, and

I therefore do'not limit myself to the exact details of constructionherein setforth nor to anything less than the whole of; my inventionlimited only by the appended claims. 7

What is claimed as new is Y 1. In combination with a window casinghaving'a sash slidably mounted therein, of a cleaning device includingmoistening means, drying means, and means operable by said windowsashfor alternately causing said moistening means and said. dryingmeansto engage the glass pane of said sash upon sliding movement of saidsash in opposite directions.

2. In combination with a window casing having a sash slidably mountedtherein, a.

window cleaning device including attaching means thereon for rigidlymountmgsaiddevice upon said window casing with respect to said sash, amovable moistening element, a movable scraping element, actuating meansfor simultaneously moving the elements in opposite directions toward andaway from the glass pane of said sash, and means operable by said sashfor controlling said actuating means and for holding said elements tightagainst the glass pane as the respectively engage the same.

3. In combination with a window casing, a sash slidably mounted thereinand having a glass pane, a cleaning device including means for removablyattaching said device to said window casing, a moistening element of alength equal to the width of said pane, a scraping element or" a lengthequal to the width of said pane, and means operable by said window sashfor alternately causing said moistening element and'said scrapingelement to engage said pane upon sliding movement of said sash inopposite directions.

i. A window cleaning device comprising a pair of spaced brackets, a pairof cleaning elements journalled therein for swinging movement, afriction wheel adapted to engage a window sash, and means operable bysaid friction wheel for imparting opposite swinging movements to therespective cleaning elements upon movement of the Window sash inopposite directions. I V

5. A window cleaning device comprising attaching means for removablymounting the device upon a window, a pair of spaced brackets, a holderjournalled in said brackets for swinging movement, a moistening elementremovably supported by said holder, a flexible scraper element turnablymounted in said brackets, and means adapted to be operated by the up anddown movements of a window sash for simultaneously turning said holderand said scraping element in opposite directions upon reverse movementson the ends of said bar, a moistening ele' ment having pintlesjournalled in said brackv ets for turning movement, a flexible scrapingelement turnably mounted in said brackets, friction slip wheels mountedon said pintles and having their peripheral edges extending beyond onesideof said brackets for engagement with a sliding window sash, coaotinggears operable by said friction slip wheel to move the moisteningelements simultaneouslyin opposite directions, and attaching meanscarried by said brackets for removably attaching the device to a Windowcasing.

7. A window cleaning device comprising a pair of swingingly mountedcleaning ele ments, and means adapted to be operated by the movements ofa window sash to alternately move the respective cleaning ele-, mentsinto operative and inoperative positions,and means for locking saidcleaning elements against movement when not in use.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my signature.

STEVE DE ROSA.

